


Beside Her

by BadLittleKittyKat



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadLittleKittyKat/pseuds/BadLittleKittyKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl is relieved and happy to have Carol home again after she and Maggie were taken by a group of Negan's Saviors, but one question still plagues his mind. How far did The Saviors really go when they brutalized Carol? Is she hiding it from him to spare him the anger and pain? Can he get her to tell him the truth or will she keep it hidden deep inside to protect him from that truth.</p><p>We all know that Daryl is haunted by the question of how much did Carol really suffer at the hands of The Saviors. Is she hiding a brutal truth from him? Will she ever tell him? I hope the series will one day allow Daryl to ask Carol the question he needs that answer to.</p><p>This is for sheer fun, not profit. I own no part of these characters or their world. I just like to play in it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beside Her

Daryl, hunkered down beside his bike in front of the house he shares with Carol, spots her walking toward him, wipes his hands on an old rag, tosses it aside. He sits on the second porch step to wait for her.

He studies her slender body head to toe for signs of pain. He worries because she doesn't want to burden him with it and just can't get it in her stubborn head that it isn't a burden no matter how many times he tells her she's wrong. She isn't ready to talk about it and Daryl won't force it, but he worries. He notices a slight limp, a small leftover bit of what she went through at the hands of Negan's Saviors. He wants to know exactly what the hell those bastards did to her at the outpost where she and Maggie were held prisoner. He needs to know, but he won't push her. All he can do is ask questions, but he won't demand answers. He just goes on hoping for them. She'll talk when she's ready.

Without a word Carol takes a seat beside him on the step. Unaware of his movement, even as he does it, Daryl slides closer till their hips touch lightly. They sit in silence for a bit as Daryl's eyes take in the wispy clouds streaking the early evening sky and he ponders how to ask what he needs to ask. He rubs his hands together nervously and Carol sees that something is definitely on his mind. She's sure she knows what it is.

When he finally works up the courage to ask her the question that has been terrifying and enraging him since they brought Carol and Maggie back from The Savior's compound his voice is low and nervous. He stares off into the distance, hands clasped tightly. He turns to look at her, his eyes boring into hers.

"What....what did they do to you? The ones who took you and Maggie?"

And there it is....The Question that has been hanging between them for two weeks. She's known all along that he's been thinking, wondering, worrying. She can't talk about it, but tonight she knows she hasn't the choice any longer. He wants....needs to know. He's trying so hard not to let the fear sound in his voice, but he isn't succeeding. It comes across loud and clear.

"Nothing," she answers softly. They didn't do anything."

"Ya sure? Would ya tell me the truth if they had....ya know....done what Randal woulda done? Carol?"

The plea in his voice is plain. His trembling hands are clasped so tightly his knuckles are white. He's terrified to find out how far The Saviors might have gone to hurt her.

Carol places a hand gently over his and says, "They didn't do that to me....or to Maggie. I'm just bruised is all. I would tell you if there was worse to tell. I see how important this is to you. There's no one else I would tell, but I would tell you."

She leans close and stares into his eyes, her hand tightening on his. "I would," she says.

Daryl exhales hard, relief plain on his face as he slips his two hands around hers, burying her small hand in his.

"Yeah?" he whispers.

"Yeah," she reassures him. "Yes, Daryl. I would tell you."

He believes her. His heart swells with gratitude and peace after two weeks of living with the fear.

He hates that she is bruised and battered. She's had a lifetime's worth of that from Ed, but he is overjoyed that nothing worse was done to her.

He slides his arm around her shoulder, her waist, boldly doing what he's been too shy to do before this, but tonight it feels right. He pulls her firmly against him and she leans her head on his shoulder. Her tense body sinks into his gratefully, comfortably and relaxes. He sighs, the fear leaving him and smiles in the way he only smiles for Carol. He is content to have her home at last on this street, in this house, on this step where he sits happily beside her, cradled in his arms where she belongs.

Daryl reaches to brush a stray lock of hair from her eyes and kisses her forehead. Carol tilts her face up to look at him, her eyes wide with surprise. He decides he needs to make what that simple kiss means much clearer to this beautiful woman who is questioning him with her lovely blue eyes. He needs her to know just what she really means to him, how she is his joy, his heart, his world and has been for so very long.

He knows he almost lost her and he was out of his mind knowing exactly where she was but not knowing what was happening to her, if he was losing her and he was powerless to get to her. He never wants to feel that about Carol again. She needs to know all of this.

He doesn't have the words, the fancy and flowery phrases so many other men have at their quick command and if he did he'd just feel stupid saying them to Carol anyway. He imagines the look on her face if he suddenly started spouting poetry. He'd grown up a simple country boy of few words, but he is a man of action.

Daryl shifts Carol in his arms and plants his lips fully on hers, pulls her deeper into his embrace, kisses her till she is breathless and almost limp in his arms. When at last their lips part, Daryl smiles. Apparently he's done a good job. Her eyes are still closed and her breathing is heavy and ragged.

"Daryl," she breathes, her eyes still closed. What....

He leans down, brushes the hair from her neck, whispers in her ear, "I love ya, Carol." He kisses her neck and a delicious shiver runs through the length of her body. He kisses her forehead again, tasting the salty sweetness of her skin with the tip of his tongue.

Surprise at his embrace, his kisses, his sudden confession of love is clear in her eyes. After a long, quiet moment Carol caresses his face softly and whispers in return, "I love you too. I always have."

He crushes her gently in his arms and says simply, "Good. That's all I need....all I ever needed.

They stay on the porch step together, holding, whispering secrets, learning this new place they are entering, enjoying the new happiness they are discovering till the sun falls below the horizon and the new stars blaze, just for them, across the dark night sky.

**Author's Note:**

> The world, for the moment, is right for Daryl and his beloved Carol. It is a savage place, but for a small space of time they can relax and enjoy, for a little while at least, being together before reality once again invades the bliss of this perfect night.
> 
> Hope you liked this short little bit and I hope you will return in the future. Thanx for reading and hopefully enjoying.


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